On May 5, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy will be releasing a new album titled Best Troubador, which consists entirely of Merle Haggard covers. It makes sense, considering Billy’s folky roots and his veneration of the country master, with whose music he has had an intimate relationship for over 25 years, so much so that his first public performance was a Haggard cover.

The covers included on Best Troubador are personal favorites of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and will span Haggard’s entire career, stretching from his third album (1967) to his forty-seventh (2011).

Although the music of both musicians tends toward despair, the first single from the album, “Mama Tried,” is a pretty uplifting jaunt, featuring saxophones, clarinets, shuffling drums, and a seriously-focused Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy at the mic. This album could be a good one. Check out the song below via the 360° VR video, and pre-order the album here.

Best Troubador tracklist:

01. The Fugitive
02. I’m Always on a Mountain When I Fall
03. The Day the Rains Came
04. Haggard (Like I’ve Never Been Before)
05. I Always Get Lucky With You
06. Leonard
07. My Old Pal
08. Roses in the Winter
09. Some of Us Fly
10. Wouldn’t That Be Something
11. Pray
12. That’s the Way Love Goes
13. Nobody’s Darling
14. What I Hate (Excerpt)
15. I Am What I Am
16. If I Could Only Fly